1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to games of chance, and more particularly, to a method of playing a group wagering game in which all entrants win or lose simultaneously as a group.
2. Description of the Related Art
In known wagering games, each individual entrant places a wager on the outcome of an event such as a roll of dice, a selection of one or more randomly generated indicia such as cards or numbers, a horse or dog race, a Jai Alai game, a sporting event, or the like, and the wager is won or lost depending on the outcome of the event. Typically, entrants are able to place their wagers on one or more of several possible outcomes of an event such that the actual outcome creates both winners and losers among the group of entrants of a particular game.
Some wagering games are designed around a particular apparatus such that the entrants must seek out a gaming table or machine in order to play. Other games can be played anywhere people are gathered and wagering is available. Regardless of the game being played or the venue in which it is presented for wagering, there is a need for a gaming method that will attract new attract new entrants to wagering games and hold the attention of existing entrants so that such games remain attractive relative to the many new games and diversions constantly being developed.
Because the development of new games and diversions is costly and time consuming without any certain outcome of whether the game will be accepted by the gaming public, the use of a bonus feature on established and accepted games is desirable. Bonus features take many forms. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,874 to Adams, a player may qualify for a bonus game on a gaming machine after achieving a predetermined winning outcome. Since this bonus feature is only available to those players who achieve the predetermined winning outcome, a player who has not achieved the bonus initiating winning outcome typically becomes bored and is more likely to cease playing the game. There is, therefore, a need to provide a bonus game in which a bonus or winning outcome is established prior to the initiation of the primary individual event and in which the bonus is awarded to all subsequent winning combinations of the primary event.